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Topic: Emeralds (Read 3147 times)

Emeralds are getting me interested in the electro/ambient world again. There is tradition here, and innovation, but overall a solid emotional cohesion and sense of inspiration (purity?) that is so refreshing.

Albums I have so far:Emeralds (s/t)What HappenedDoes It Look Like I'm Here?

All most excellent, and brimming with power. It's got me wanting to check out others in the same realm, like Oneohtrix Point Never. But I'm so slow and cautious in buying music these days, due to lack of funds and jadedness in general, it may be a while.

I'm curious about this project. Never heard their music yet. They are filed in the "experimental" section of the local record store, but always out of stock. But you say they are electro/ambient? Who would you compare them to?

There's some definite Tangerine Dream influence in there, but wonderfully sublimated into their own expression. And they seem to have absorbed some goodness from origin electronica like Raymond Scott. Touches of Warp influence might be floating around there as well. They may have been influenced by other psych-rock, but they are definitely, even with some sweet guitar, in the ambient/electro realm. I think they are called experimental because they blend all the styles so well.

Ditto all this talk, re: Emeralds, OPN, Expo 70, etc. There's been a variant on the old 'kosmische music', gene-spliced with 80s synth music & 'new age' (whatever the hell that means, now or then) that a number of young whippersnappers have ingested and expunged into something of a 'faux hommage', if you will (not an entirely accurate description), but is really a compositional/artistic mandate and conscious directional interest/choice. General synth music seems to be attempting to break free of genre ghetto confines, becoming, in certain stubborn alt.rock & indie quarters, 'respectable'. It is a movement I embrace wholeheartedly and welcome enthusiastically.

Other than saying how much I enjoy the work of Emeralds & OPN, I would further add to this list the likes of Keith Fullerton Whitman, whose love of electronic/synth music is encyclopedic & equally passionate in its scope, and whose recent Moog drone symphonies have been something to behold (quick plug: he'll be performing @ OTP in 2011); Dolphins Into the Future, more on the quieter but no less vital side; plus Dylan Ettinger, Ethernet (who released a brilliant debut disc earlier this year on Kranky), Raglani, Jonas Reinhardt, Venus Vulture, etc. Many of these artists are releasing on vinyl only, and, in some cases, cassettes (which completely mystifies me, and does something of a disservice to their (potential) audience, but, whatever...) As always, reimagining the past, built for the future!

yeah, i like the music most when Daniel Lopatin goes solo with Oneohtrix Point Never.and note that John Elliot's fantastic Imaginary Softwoods will get a CD issue early next year on Digitalis, finally!